Wimbledon champion fires back at critics

Iga Swiatek pleaded with the Polish media to "leave me alone", saying she knows what she is doing after crushing Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win her first Wimbledon title on Saturday.

The 24-year-old was seeded eighth at the All England Club after a disappointing first half of the season, though she is fourth in the rankings after a run to the Bad Homburg final two weeks ago.

Swiatek was asked at her post-match news conference whether winning Wimbledon so convincingly was a fitting riposte to those who have criticized her over her performances.

"For sure, the past months, how the media sometimes describe me, and I've got to say, unfortunately Polish media, how they treated me and my team, it wasn't really pleasant," she said.

"I hope they will just leave me alone and let me do my job, because, obviously, you can see that we know what we are doing, and I have the best people around me.

"I have already proved a lot. I know people want more and more, but it's my own process, my own life and my own career.

"Hopefully, I'm going to have a freedom from them, as well, to let me do my job the way I want to do it."

Swiatek climbed to third in the rankings on Monday after winning her sixth Grand Slam title on a blazing day on Wimbledon's Centre Court.

The former world No 1 destroyed the hapless US 13th seed in just 57 minutes, and the American admitted she was "frozen by nerves".

Swiatek, who had not previously gone beyond the quarterfinals at Wimbledon as a pro, said she was shocked to have won the grass-court Grand Slam, where she was a junior champion in 2018.

She is better known for her prowess on clay, winning four French Open titles as well as the 2022 US Open, played on hard courts.

"Who would have expected that?" she commented.

"It's something that is just surreal. I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself.

"I'm really happy with the whole process, how it looked from the first day we stepped on a grass court. I feel like we did everything for it to go in that direction without expecting it, just working really hard."

Swiatek said it was difficult to rank her Grand Slam triumphs, but that winning on grass made it more "special and unexpected".

"For sure, it feels like the emotions are bigger because at Roland Garros I know I can play well, and I know I can show it every year," she said. "Here, I wasn't sure of that. I also needed to prove that to myself."

Swiatek said it had been special to be presented with the Venus Rosewater Dish by Catherine, Princess of Wales.

"Overall the process of getting the trophy from her royal highness was something surreal," she said.

"Since I'm a kid, honestly I'm a big fan of the royal family. It was amazing. I really appreciate that. I'm really grateful that it was her royal highness presenting the trophy."

AFP